Linkfest Today, April 22, 2010

Writing in a guest post, she says this is a mistake. "Many children who have been traumatized feel much calmer on medication," says Dr. Gold. "It may even help them to learn. The problem comes when medication is
used instead of, rather than in addition to therapy. Alleviating
symptoms with medication often decreases motivation to do this difficult
but important work."

There is no substitute for sitting down with the child and discussing his story, which can uncover underlying psychological issues, like depression, that may be missed.

As physicians are more harried in the business-like atmosphere today, they are pressured to see more patients than ever. That means fewer will spend the time to drive over to a patient's home and provide the personalized care that only a house call can provide.

In a guest post, John Schumann wonders if house calls will make a comeback: "Now that health care reform has passed, and Medicaid and Medicare will
expand to their largest enrollments ever, I wonder if house calls will
be included in the ‘experimentation’ phase of the law, or whether they
will remain relegated to the fringes of the medical establishment."

The only way, it seems, to revitalize house calls is to opt out of both private insurers and Medicare. That means only concierge physicians have that freedom. And that's a shame.

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